Royal Navy gets sinking feeling over wonky warships

Britain may soon be facing a big bill to fix some its most modern warships.

All six of the Royal Navy's newest destroyers, which cost £1 billion ($1.4 billion) each, are losing power at sea.

The problems were first reported by the BBC. It quoted an email from an anonymous navy officer saying "total electric failures are common" on the ships.

A spokesperson for BAE Systems(BAESY), the main contractor building the Type 45 destroyers, told CNNMoney that some parts of the ships "aren't performing" and "providing adequate power and propulsion."

A team of specialists has been working for months to suggest fixes and upgrades, the BAE spokesperson said.

The U.K.'s Ministry of Defence said it was committed to improving power and propulsion systems to "ensure availability and resilience throughout the remainder of the life of the [ship]."

The Type 45 destroyers first went into service in 2006, and are due to last 30 years.

Rolls-Royce(RYCEY) supplied the gas turbines and General Electric(GE) provided further parts and services. Neither company was immediately available to comment.